I disagree with the consensus. This might not make a big splash nationwide, but it will make the news in Michigan, which is a must win swing state. Gore didn’t just give his endorsement, he gave his enthusiatic support, which made for great visuals and soundbites.
So far, it looks like Obama’s strategy in the general is as good as it was in the primaries.
It would have made a huge difference if he’d made the endorsement while Clinton was still in the race. Now? Not a damn bit of difference. He waited long enough not to piss off the Clintons and their supporters and not too long that it looked ridiculous.
Gore has become a sort of elder statesman for the Democratic Party. If he had endorsed Obama earlier it would have been seen as a partisan choice against Clinton. Doing it now is a signal to Clinton supporters that it’s time to close ranks behind Obama.
Al Gore is the second Nobel Prize winner to endorse Obama. My neighbor, Leonid Hurwicz, did so at the Minnesota Precinct Caucuses last winter.
Now if the 4 other Americans who won 2007 Nobel Prizes endorse Obama, he will have the full support of the American Laurates. That might make a difference to some thinking people. But they might be supporting Obama already.
Hasn’t Jimmy Carter endorsed Obama yet? One down, three Laureates to go?
Kissinger’s going to be the tough one.
Really? How much support did he give Bush 41 or Reagan? He’s not exactly been the go-to guy for commentary about politics for a decade or two, and I wonder if that has been due to lukewarm support for his party’s candidates. I can seem him being annoyed at Bush 43’s poor international diplomacy record and choosing Obama out of pique.
Note that I specified 2007 Nobel Prize winners.
Neither Jimmy Carter not Henry Kissinger won their prizes in 2007.